Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-11
LONG AND SHORT HAULS.
THE BIG FIGHT UNDER WAY IN
HE SENATE.

Mr.. Beck Sets the BAH Rolling in a
strong Speech in Favor of the Confer
ence RepOrt-SenatOr Cuuom Exp ajns
the Meaning OF the Various Sections
al the BiiI-Mr. Stanford Champions
the Railroads.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-In the Senate
to-day Mr.. Hoar, from the select commit
tee on centennial celebrations, reported a
resolution declaring it eXpedient that
action be taken by Congress for due cele-
braton IN Washington about April 80,
1859, of the centennial of the adoption of
the constitution, and directing the com.
mittee to consider and propose the best
mode Of celebration. The resolution was
adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Dawes the House
amendments to the Senate dill to provide
lands for Indians in severalty were non-
CURED in and conference was asked.
The Senate at 1880 O'Clock took up the
interstate commerce bill, and Mr.. Beck
took the floor with speech in favor of
the conference report.
A DIRECT ISSUE.
That report, he said, which must be
bIbu0I duupbeu VI ItJeCISu as d WuOIo,
presented an issue fairly between those
Z who believed that the great inierstat
railways were, and of right ought TO tie,
subject to the law, and those who thought
Rthat they ought to be a law unto them
Ielyes. After a struggle of ten years com
nttees OF the TWO houses had agreed
pOn a bill which they said was the best
at could be had. They said that it
as this bill or nothing. OF course
n rnf do Cd ,t,.,
pd be framed which the ra lrOad advO-
ties would not oppose. Because this
was supposed to be imperfect and TO
Ie some shortcomings, they insisted
Q railroads should continue to
rcise unlimited control of interstate
merce. Tie defeat OF the present
sure, either directly or by amend
'ment, would accomplish their purpose.
CITING AUTHORITIES.
In support of the right and duty Of Con.
gress to legislGte on the subjecJ he, quoted
tine opinion OF the United States supreme
Court last October in the Waoash
decision of the Massachusetts
Court in the case against the
Housatonlc Railroad Company. 1t must
be apparent. be said, that the failure of
Congress to pass law to punish railroad
officials guilty Of determinations aud eX-
tortions was simply TO license them TO
continue the practice, and no sen
ator would attempt to justify
that. He believed that the country would
accept the bill as an honest, earnest Il brt
to break up the system of faYoritsm and
eXtnrtion which some railroad managers
had exercised and maintained for the
last twenty years. He read from a book
on "The Railroads. OF the Republic" by j.
F. Hudson, a chapter upon the history OF
the Standard Oil Company, which is repre-
sented as having, IN eighteen months. re-
ceived from railroad companies rebates
amounting to $lO000,0 coo and having
thus crushed out AL competition
in the oil trade. he commended
that chapter to tne perusal OF those
boards Of trade and chambers Of com
merce that were now so earnestly pro-
testing against the passage OF this bill,
and he asserted that, If the facts therein
stated were laid before any commercial
body in America, not one Of them would
vote Tor a co ltinuance of the system under
which such mOnstr0us Outrages had been
committed and might be repeated.
AT THE MERCY OF RAILROADS.
He declared that not only the COM
merce OF the country, but the fortunes OF
i all engaged in it were at the mercy OF
few railroad maguates. Yet Congress was
Guardians OF commerce tnat it would ruin
he country II IL would prevent discriGi-
NlOns, rebates and Wbacks. lie
ew OF no higher evidence ofthe omnipO-
nee OF those railroad people than
heir ability to obtain from respectable
toards OF trade such resolutions as were
daily sent to the Senators, urging them not
70 interfere with railroad deSpotlsm. Ihe
treat fund lmeata principe walc1 the
assage OF this bill would establish was
hat Congress uOt only proposed hereafter
b regulate Interstate commerce but pro-
Nsed to regulate the carriers OF 1t and TO
wmpel them 10 do equal and exact justice
D all persons dealing with them.
rHE ORIGINAL BILL.
The original bill had passed the Senate
s,t session bv vote OF A. 20 4, and bad
PISSED the House Uy vote OF l92 to Al;
bud now. when the conierees OF both
0uses had reed upon this bill, it seemed
him that it ought to become a
|aw. No man could JUSTLY tIe
|OnduCt Of many great rail-
cad corporations in their treatment
The vast interests conhlded 10 their
bare and management. He referred to
be anthracite coal LoOl as specimen OF
Onb nation against public interests, and
tated that the aggregate capitalization OF
he companies engaged in 1t was Soo0,'
1000, while the dctIai cost was oH'S
lA000,000 ,..
Ia conclusion, he SAID that he was not
10 enemy of the railroads. They had
Due more than all other agencies TO de-
elop the resources of the continent. But
would require them TO DO equal ana
6act iustice To all. Believing that me Dill
|ould do go, without injury to any OF the
Ultimate rights OF The railroads, ne
|o0ld vote tor il.
MR.. CCLLoM's SPEECH.
Mr.. Cuilom addressed the Senate IN
yor Of the conference report, conhning
sremarks principally to the fourth sec
bn a. 10 long and short hauls. Inc Dill,
sald had stood remarkably well tne
81 oi general aud particular scrutiny
Which it had been subJecisd Oy the
ess and railroad companies, JUS gen
al provisions aad for the most part met
To apDroval. while the feature mos
rouely objected to lihe ourth section
aS misunderstood. If NOT inlsrepre-
nted Ue admitted that any
basure that could he passed.
Congress might prove ineffective anu
satisfactory in some respects untll sup
cmepted bv state Legislation, lust as
ate legislation now in force had been
ind unsatIslactory in some respects oe-
Use of the absence Of national leylsia-
IN. Ue believed that if this legislation
"a lld be fairly tested it would prove oehe,
az both 10 the railroads anu .ne , sene' s,,d ~